Good Social Work?

The importance of small steps: Guest lecture provides valuable insights into the perspective of a Social Work client

Social Work practice operates in a wide variety of areas of society with people who are experiencing crisis situations in their lives. The Austrian Professional Association of Social Work (obds) and the internationally recognized definition of Social Work by the International Federation of Social Workers (ifsw) emphasize participation, involvement, appreciation, and client orientation as central principles of all Social Work practices. The goals and social functions of the discipline, profession, and science are defined as a joint commitment to social change and social justice in society, based on universal human rights and human dignity.

For our bachelor's program in Social Work and the master's program in Social Work, Social Policy & Management at MCI, the communication, acquisition, and internalization of these values are essential in order to enable students to engage in professional and discipline-oriented practice on the basis of a high-quality academic education.

Based on this situation, the department of Social Work invited Michaela Lödler, vice chair of the Lichterkette association, to give a guest lecture. The “Lichterkette” association consists of a team of people who are or have been affected by mental illness themselves. They work in regional and supraregional socio-political committees and working groups, support those affected themselves through various offers such as the implementation of online self-help to strengthen their own empowerment, and thus provide political impetus at various levels in Austria.

As an expert in the field, Michaela Lödler gave an impressive presentation to a large audience of students from the department of Social Work and other interested guests, sharing aspects of her own history and positive and negative experiences of and with Social Work. Michaela Lödler pointed out important principles in the collaboration between professionals and clients in the practice of social and health professions, always framing them in the context of her own biography. Her remarks on joint decisions, humorous practices, and very individual “small” steps in everyday life, which were initiated in a wide variety of ways with and by professionals, were particularly interesting.

The guest lecture was supported by Christina Lienhart, professor at the MCI department of Social Work, who acted as moderator, and by a concise disciplinary framework as an introduction to the topic of the evening by Moritz Reisberger, teaching & research assistant at the department of Social Work and at the MCI Center for Social & Health Innovation (CSHI). The subsequent discussion focused on Michaela Lödler's findings at various levels and on the results of current studies on Social Work practice in Tyrol at the MCI department of Social Work.

The direct insights into the moments of life, suffering, and success on the shared journey of a client with Social Work professionals offered a unique opportunity to change one's own perspective and to reflect together on positive and negative courses of action in Social Work. The MCI department of Social Work would like to thank everyone involved, especially Michaela Lödler, for their strength, courage, and for pointing out key aspects for more successful support through Social Work. These reflections and learning formats are of considerable importance for the profession and discipline and their self-critical, reflective design in times of multiple challenges and crises in society.